Junior Highs and Lows
by carlotta1924
Summary: chronicles Kara's first week of school here on earth
1. Monday

It's lunch time. To spare herself from all the unwanted noise around her that she has been experiencing since she arrived in school with her older sister Alex, Kara Danvers decided to have her lunch in the girls' bathroom. It was working so far; nobody had entered the bathroom and disturbed her solitude. Still, tears gathered in the corners of Kara's eyes as she sat in a cubicle and tried her best to eat her lunch.

 _What am I doing in this place? I wish I never came to Earth. It's so hard to control my powers, it's like everything is going at two hundred percent. My teachers are nice enough but I don't know about the other kids. I feel like they're staying away from me because I say things that sound weird to them. Life here is so hard. Oh, Mom, what am I going to do? I wish you were here. I need you._

A few tears fell as Kara took a bite out of the lasagna that Eliza had packed for her. Then she almost choked when she remembered that she was supposed to have lunch with Alex and her friends.

 _Oh, no. I hope Alex won't get mad at me for not waiting for her. She has been nothing but kind to me, but I can also see that she wants to hang out with her friends. It's okay. I'll be okay. I'm okay. I'm okay._

Kara sniffled a little as she continued to eat her lunch. The lasagna was good, but she barely noticed it as she was just automatically eating. Suddenly the door to the girls' bathroom opened with a slight bang.

"Kara?"

 _Alex._

Kara's heart dropped to her stomach. "Alex? I-uh-I'm here in the last cubicle," she stammered. She hurriedly picked up her fork that had unfortunately dropped onto the tiled floor.

Swift footsteps brought her big sister to the cubicle door. "Are you ok, Kara?" Alex asked. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

Kara closed her eyes and tried to steady her breath. Good thing Alex couldn't see her watery eyes. "Yeah, I'm ok," she answered as convincingly as she could.

But Alex was not fooled. "I can hear it in your voice that you're so not okay. Can you open this door, please?"

The door opened slowly, revealing the young Kryptonian with a tear-streaked face. "Are you mad at me, Alex?" Kara asked meekly.

Alex's heart went out to Kara. Her mom and dad had sat her down the night before and asked her to look out for Kara especially in school since it will be her very first time to be with other kids on Earth. Being the obedient daughter and the kind person Alex is, she complied with her parents' request. In addition to that, she likes Kara well enough and it is nice to have someone close to her age to hang out with at home. She reached out and gently dried Kara's tears with a handkerchief.

"No Kara, don't worry I'm not mad at you. When I didn't see you at the lunch room earlier I already knew that something was up. Do you want to tell me what it is?" Alex asked. When Kara hesitated, she added quickly, "It's okay if you don't want to. And if you like, I'll keep you company."

Kara's eyes grew wide. "But... your friends. Won't they look for you?"

"Oh, that's okay. They know that I'll have lunch with you, wherever I find you. And it so happens that I found you here, so... we can't eat here. I mean, eww!" Alex made an elaborate show of pretending to puke.

Kara giggled. "It does feel weird eating in here."

"I know, right? Come on, we can have our lunch outside," Alex said as she helped Kara fix her lunch bag. "There's this huge shade tree beside the gym. My friends and I like to hang out there sometimes."

"Are you sure your friends won't mind?"

"One hundred percent sure," Alex declared. "Don't cry now, Kara. It'll get easier as the days go by, I promise. Life here will be exciting for you in no time, you'll see. For starters, Rick invited us to the beach later after school. That should be fun." She smiled encouragingly and then took Kara's hand in hers and squeezed it.

Comforted by Alex's presence, Kara squeezed Alex's hand back. Her mom may not be with her right now, but she is thankful that she has Alex with her. She is also grateful for Jeremiah and Eliza's support. With the three of them, she knows she can face her new life on Earth bravely. All she has to do for now is to survive school. Kara smiled broadly at Alex, all traces of sadness gone from her eyes. "Okay. I'd like that a lot. Thanks, Alex."

"Anytime, Kara."

The two sisters walked out of the girls' bathroom hand in hand.

* * *

 ** _tbc._**

 ** _thanks for reading. :)_**


	2. Tuesday

**_a/n: this and the previous chapter are inspired from s1ep17 (manhunter). so loved the characters' back stories._**

 ** _as always and forever, Supergirl is not mine. just borrowing it for a bit. enjoy! :)_**

* * *

Kara looked around with wonder when she and Alex entered the school grounds on Tuesday morning. The lead-lined glasses that her foster dad Jeremiah gave her is heaven-sent; her vision is already the same as the humans. She kept looking everywhere, leaving Alex torn between giggling at her antics and being embarrassed by it.

"Wow," Kara said, turning round and round as if she could not get enough of what she's seeing. "This is so much better than seeing without glasses!"

"Really? Well, this is the first time I've ever heard anyone say that they enjoy wearing glasses," Alex said, reaching out a hand to still Kara's excited spinning. The move was a bit too soon, and Kara accidentally hit her arm that was stitched up from the previous day's accident. She cried out and doubled over in pain.

"Oh, no, Alex! I'm so sorry!" Kara exclaimed. "Are you okay?" she rubbed her hand up and down Alex's back, trying to comfort her.

Alex gritted her teeth. "Yeah... yeah, I'm okay, Kara. It hurts just a little but it's nothing to worry about," she gave a small smile for Kara's benefit, who looked troubled.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. It's not even bleeding, see?" Alex held out her bandaged arm.

"Okay," Kara said slowly, still looking concerned.

The sisters separated amiably inside the school building to go to their respective classrooms with the agreement that they will meet up during break times and a reassurance to Kara from Alex that she will still live so she shouldn't worry anymore.

Kara, now on her own for the time being, remembered that she can see as normally as the other kids now that she leaped to a natural high. Because of that she forgot about her super hearing and therefore was firmly brought back to earth when she caught a snippet of a particular conversation from all the noise as she entered her classroom.

 _Hey look, Alex's weird sister just came in._

 _Have you heard about what she did yesterday after school?_

 _The one at the beach?_

 _No, the one in the mall. Of course I'm talking about what happened at the beach._

 _Yeah. She saved that lady and her kid. Do you think that's true?_

 _That twig of a girl? I don't think so._

What Jeremiah had said was true, that the kids who were present at the beach yesterday and their parents were wondering how she was able to save the woman and her son. It is now the hottest topic in school and there seems to be no end in sight for it. If Kara guessed correctly, the kids she and Alex passed by were talking about it as well; she was just too busy enjoying her newfound vision to notice. Kara continued to listen to her classmates' conversation.

 _But Ronnie said her arms grew huge muscles that's why she was able to rip the door off the car._

 _And Maria said she grew wings that's why she reached the car so fast._

 _Hahaha! Unbelievable! What is she, an alien?_

Kara gulped. She was pretty sure she was the only one there on the burning car before all the other kids arrived at the scene.

 _I know, right? She's so weird!_

 _How do you think Alex stands it? I know I'd be weirded out if I have to live with someone like Kara._

 _Me too! But Alex is just too nice to say anything._

Kara knew she had to tune the other kids out, but she got engrossed in what everyone around her was saying. Her feelings warred inside her; she felt good that she was able to help other people, yet she also feels sad that she is not supposed to use her powers even it's to help others. On top of that, Alex was the one injured because she used her powers in the first place to rescue the woman and her son. None of Kara's concerns bothered her other classmates. They went on talking, seemingly oblivious to the girl sitting in the corner of the classroom.

 _Mom told me that Alex got stitches. Was it bad?_

 _I'm not sure. What's bad though is the fact that she even got hurt at all._

 _If Kara hadn't run off in the first place, Alex would be okay._

 _Yeah._

But it was an accident, Kara thought. The car exploded and I didn't have the chance to shield Alex from it. I'm really, really sorry, Alex. I didn't mean to. I know you're mad, but you're just trying not to hurt my feelings. Kara pillowed her head on her arms, pretending to sleep. Her super hearing, she discovered, can be focused on a specific person or group and so it is now being put to good use.

 _Alex still went to school today though. I saw her come in earlier._

 _What? Wow._

 _She should have stayed at home to rest._

 _Well, looks like she doesn't want to. She likes hanging out with Kara._

 _Now that_ is _weird._

Just then, the bell rang for first period, catching Kara once again by surprise. She jumped a little in her seat, sending her books and pen clattering to the floor in the process. The whole class burst into laughter as she proceeded to pick up her scattered things. While Kara felt embarrassed about being laughed at by her classmates and being one-upped by an inanimate object, the comment regarding Alex being weirded out by having to live with her worried her.

Does Alex really like hanging out with someone like her?

That thought haunted Kara the whole day. Every time she listens in on some kids, all she hears are the rescue, accident, and how Alex must hate Kara because of it. It's a miracle she was able to concentrate on her classes at all. After school let out, she sat with Alex and her friends Rick, Ronnie, and Maria under the huge tree by the gym, talking. Or at least Kara tried to join in. She found it hard since she was intent on eavesdropping on the other kids still hanging around. She zoomed in on a small group of girls talking several yards away while pretending to listen to what Alex was saying. She suspected that the girls will somehow bring her big sister into the conversation, and they didn't disappoint.

 _Hey guys, look at Kara. She looks spaced out._

 _She must be thinking of something else to save later, like a kitten up a hundred-foot tree._

 _Yeah, she's gonna like chop it down and squash Alex with it. Some hero!_

The girls laughed maliciously while Kara said indignantly, "Am not!"

Alex and her friends looked at her in surprise. "You're not what, Kara?" Alex asked.

Kara gasped as she realised she had spoken aloud. "Uh... nothing," she stammered, "I'm just, um... talking... to myself."

Alex's friends snickered, while Alex was stunned into silence. Ronnie was the first to recover from laughing and asked, "No offense or anything, Kara, but what's with you? Are you from Mars or something?"

The others laughed louder, making Kara uncomfortable that she looked to Alex for help. Do Alex's friends hate her, too?

Alex rolled her eyes at Ronnie and the others. "Oh, shut up, guys. She doesn't need that right now. Wait a sec." She stood from the bench and told Kara, "Come with me to my locker? I forgot something."

Kara nodded.

"Don't mind them, they didn't mean it," Alex said as they walked toward the building. Once they were at a safe distance from everyone, Alex stopped walking and faced Kara. "Okay, Kara, spill it. You were using your super hearing out there, weren't you?"

Kara looked down at her shoes, feeling more uncomfortable than ever. "Um. Yes," she admitted. Kara is so ashamed that she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

"Why?" Alex wanted to know. "You know what Mom and Dad said. You're not supposed to use your powers here. What if everyone sees you use them? I have to protect you and here you are, using your super hearing like it's the most normal thing to do." She meant to speak calmly, but her words sounded like she was lecturing, and yes, very much like her mother.

All at once Kara's feelings of insecurity, shame, and worry came tumbling out, one after the other that they overwhelmed her. "I don't know, Alex," she cried, "I didn't mean to use my powers again. I just overheard my classmates talking this morning and then I couldn't stop listening. They were talking about yesterday and they were laughing at me and saying that it's my fault you got hurt. Plus, they think I'm weird and I'm just so sorry that I have embarrassed and hurt you. I understand if you don't like me and don't want me to live with you and your parents anymore. You can tell them to send me to live with my cousin. I-I'm sorry, Alex, I'm really, really sorry!" Kara removed her glasses and swiped angrily at the tears that have started to run down her face.

Alex's irritation faded as she looked helplessly at her alien sister coming to grips with school life. It's only the second day and Kara already has more troubles than the average new kid. She pulled Kara into a tight hug, not knowing it's how Alura comforted Kara back in Krypton whenever she felt bad. The reminder of it made Kara cry harder, and all Alex could do was to hold her. When the storm subsided, Alex pulled away and held Kara gently by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry Kara, I didn't mean to make you cry," the older girl said, giving Kara a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. "But you have to understand that we are telling you this for your own good. If this goes on, other people might suspect something." Once again Alex sounded just like Eliza but at least her tone was more gentle this time.

"I know," Kara sniffled, "But I can't help it. I'm sorry though. I really am."

"I know you are, Kara. And I am here to help you so please get it out of your head that I hate you or anything, okay?"

Kara looked at Alex hopefully. "You don't hate me?"

Alex punched Kara playfully on the shoulder. "All right Kara Danvers, you have got to officially stop listening to other people. If I didn't like you, I would have already told you myself."

"Oh."

"And you know what else?" Alex continued. "I may get mad at you sometimes but that doesn't mean I won't like you anymore. What we have between us is something that happens to siblings. We talk, tell stories, laugh, cry, argue, and even get mad at each other every now and then. But we always make up. We forgive each other. It's what siblings do. It's what _we_ do, Kara."

Kara linked her arm around Alex's good one. "I'm so glad you're my sister, Alex."

"Me too," Alex replied, smiling.

"Oh, hey. You know what?" Kara asked, an idea forming in her mind.

"What?"

"I know I can't use my powers, but if you need anything, like... like spying on someone for you... I can help you with it. X-ray vision and super hearing and all, you know." Kara offered, tapping her glasses.

Shocked, Alex stared at her little sister. "Kara!"

Kara shrugged. "It's only an idea, Alex. But think about it. If you like someone, wouldn't you want to learn everything about him... Ow!"

Alex, who was in the process of pulling Kara's hair, stopped. "Hm. Now that you've mentioned it, I might take you up on your offer." She pulled at Kara's hair again, making the younger girl shriek and retaliate. "But not now, you're going to get me in trouble, you silly girl!"

The two of them burst out laughing.

All is well again in Kara's new world.

* * *

 ** _tbc._**

 ** _thanks for reading :)_**


	3. Wednesday

"Come on, Kara, get up already," Alex begged her sister, who was stubbornly cocooned under her covers. "I don't want to be late for school."

A corner of Kara's flowery duvet lifted a bit, revealing a bit of blonde hair and shockingly blue eyes. "You can go ahead, Alex," Kara mumbled, "I don't think I can go to school today. I don't want to face those kids." She hid under the covers once more.

Alex did her best to suppress a groan and the overwhelming desire to stomp her foot out of frustration. "Kara, you _have_ to. I can't _not_ go to school without you. Mom will have my hide if I leave you here all alone."

The lump under the covers curled into itself further. "I can take care of myself. I know where the food is and all."

"Please?" this Alex said with gritted teeth, her patience with Kara already frayed on the edges. The Kara that she is used to is very unlike the Kara she is seeing now. Alex cannot believe that her sister, who is just a year younger than she, is acting very much like a five-year-old who is scared of going to school for the first time. Well, technically, it is her first time to experience school on Earth, and her first two days have been pretty eventful for a new kid.

And the new kid seemed intent on staying home. "Sorry."

That did it. Alex leaped onto Kara's bed and wrenched the duvet that protected her sister from her. "Kara Danvers, you are going to school whether you like it or not. And don't you dare use your powers on me, I'm telling. Don't think that I won't," she challenged as she dragged Kara off her bed.

"No, Alex! You can't make me!" Kara screamed as she struggled to get away from Alex's surprisingly tight grasp.

"Yes... I... Can!" Alex yelled back, intent on overpowering Kara.

"Please don't make me go!"

"Oh, yes I will! Come... on... Kara!"

While Kara valiantly put up a fight, Alex was bigger and was fuelled with combined parts of irritation and determination, thus succeeding in pinning Kara down to the floor. Kara finally stopped struggling and meekly got up and said, "I'm sorry, Alex. I'll go now." She shuffled off to the bathroom.

"Well, you better," Alex muttered. "Come down for breakfast when you're done, okay?" She called out as she went down the stairs. She hoped that Kara would quietly go to school with her. It would be a total nightmare if she would have to drag Kara all the way to school, never mind the possibility that Kara might use her super strength on her. Alex recalled the conversation she'd had with her parents earlier this morning before they left for a convention in Metropolis.

 _"Alex, make sure that Kara gets to eat her breakfast, okay?" Eliza had said._

 _"Yes, Mom."_

 _"And in school, see to it that she doesn't use any of her powers," Eliza added. "We don't want anyone to see that because not everyone will be as understanding."_

 _Alex sighed inwardly. "I know, Mom."_

 _"Check on her from time to time as well."_

 _"Mom! I can't go out from my classes just to check on Kara. That's what her teachers are for."_

 _"Alexandra..."_

 _"Alex, your mom means well," Jeremiah chimed in soothingly before an argument between mother and daughter could ensue. "Remember that we are doing..."_

 _"...this for Kara, she just lost everything she had and she needs us to take care of her, I know, Dad." Alex finished for Jeremiah with a sigh. Then she turned to Eliza. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'll do as you asked."_

 _"Thanks, sweetheart. I know your dad and I could count on you." Eliza said._

 _Alex simply nodded._

 _"We'll be back by dinnertime," Jeremiah promised._

 _"Okay, Dad. Sorry again. Take care."_

That was an hour ago. Then it had taken Alex the better part of the following hour to get Kara off her bed. Alex looked at her watch. In thirty minutes they should be heading for school already. She was about to yell at Kara again to hurry up when she heard the sound of her sister's footsteps going down the stairs. She heaved a sigh of relief. If Kara ate fast, they'll be out of the house in half the estimated time.

* * *

"I don't think I can go in there again," Kara said nervously.

The sisters were standing in front of the school. Kara was gripping Alex's hand hard, but not hard enough to cause any damage. Still, she felt butterflies going amuck in her stomach.

Here we go again, Alex thought silently as she held Kara by her shoulders. There was no way that she would allow her sister to go back home. "Yes, you can, Kara," she said in her most soothing voice. "We've been through this before. If you need me, I'll be down the hall. We'll meet up on breaks. But during class, it will be your teachers who will look out for you." Alex gently pried off Kara's clutching fingers from her hand when an idea popped into her mind. "Okay, I know that you're nervous about the kids here because they think you're weird, but is there anything that you like about school? There must be something."

"Well..." Kara hesitated. She softly kicked a stone before speaking again. "I like recess and lunch."

Alex burst out laughing at this. "Yeah, you enjoy them so much that just the other day I found you hanging out in the girls' bathroom by yourself at lunch time."

Puzzled, Kara looked at Alex. "But I like the food. It isn't like anything in Krypton. Especially that, uh, mystery meat."

If it were not a social suicide, Alex would have dropped and rolled on the grass laughing her heart out at this new discovery about her sister. However even with her earlier irritation, she still did not wish to hurt Kara's feelings. So instead she tried to catch her breath and said, "Okay." She also made a mental note to lecture Kara about the ins and outs of cafeteria eating soon.

"So. Anything else besides eating?" Alex prompted.

"Oh yeah, there's this class, um, Science," Kara replied, brightening. "We are studying frogs now. We get to dissect them and all. It's so amazing to know that their anatomy is the most similar to humans. Do we get to dissect humans too? You know, for comparison?"

Now Alex was shocked. "What?! No! Well you'd have to be a medical student to be able to do that... I think." The thought of cutting up a dead human was revolting to the fourteen-year-old that she practically gagged. "Okay, what else?" Alex asked, eager to change the subject.

Kara thought for a while. Then she lit up again as she remembered. "PE," she said enthusiastically. "I especially like it when we run around the track. It feels like it is the closest thing to flying, I could feel the wind rushing along when I run."

Alex noted that Kara's face was shining now as she talked more about what she enjoyed in school, which included being asked to dust off the erasers ( _It looks like I'm in a snow globe, Alex!),_ going to the clinic ( _So_ _I could see how the nurse can cure the kids with the different kinds of medicines that you have._ ); and listening to Mr. Wilson, the Social Studies teacher, talk. ( _He sounds soooo cute when he says words like history and president. They sound like hithtory and prethident when he speaks. So cute, right? I don't get why the others laugh at him, they're just being mean I guess._ )

Kara could have gone on and on had the first bell not rung. Alex noted as well that Kara hardly flinched at all when it did, and so she did a mental happy dance for her sister. She was not annoyed at Kara anymore; rather, she felt that she had accomplished something big that helped Kara get over her fear of attending school. At least for today.

"So I'll see you at recess?" Alex asked as she walked towards her own classroom.

Kara smiled brightly. "Definitely. And Alex?"

"Yeah?"

Kara ran to Alex and hugged her tightly.

"Hey, what's this for?" a stunned Alex asked.

Kara burrowed her face in Alex's shoulder. "I'm sorry. And thank you."

Touched, Alex returned the hug. Even if she still feels sometimes that Kara had robbed her of her parents' attention and is liable to embarrass her in every turn, she still likes her and hopes that everything will be better for Kara after this. All she needs to do is to be there for her.

"No problem, Kara."

* * *

 ** _tbc_**

 ** _thanks for reading. :)_**


	4. Thursday

A nervous Kara crouched behind a desk in the music room where she was hiding. With a lot of musical instruments spread throughout, she was careful not to make any noise. She had been running away from a group of girls in her grade who thought of having some fun at her expense.

At first Kara thought they would like to be friends with her because they had sounded so friendly. They even asked her to sit with them during lunch. She told Alex about this and she said okay and it's great that she is trying to make new friends. Alex's look of approval actually made Kara feel good because it means she had made some stride in adjusting to school life.

However, Kara's older sister being in a higher grade had no way of knowing that the girls, whose names are Carissa, Iris, and Raine, were not of the nice sort. Especially to new kids with spots of weirdness like Kara. The girls did make Kara feel comfortable with them first by chatting with her over lunch, asking her how her life was like before and after coming to live with the Danvers family, her likes and dislikes, basically the whole gamut of getting to know someone.

To clinch Kara's full trust, Raine went the extra mile as to fix Kara's hair into two neat braids since she is very good in creating different hairstyles. Kara's smile was a mile wide as she expressed her thanks.

When they finally got tired of the charade, Carissa told Kara that they would like to show her something cool. "I'm sure you'll love it," she'd said, winking surreptitiously at her friends.

Kara, still innocent to the ways of humans, went.

They stopped walking when they got to a deserted hallway in school. Kara looked around apparently searching for what the girls were going to show her.

"Looking for something, Kara?" Iris said.

Kara heard a snipping sound behind her and whirled around to see Carissa holding up a pair of scissors. She and the two other girls closed in on Kara, grinning menacingly.

Kara looked at them, bewildered. Were these the very same girls who were so nice to her just moments ago? "W-what are you gonna do?" she stammered while slowly backing away.

Iris rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"

"I-I don't know... I thought..." a confused Kara said.

"Come on," Raine scoffed, "Did you really think that we wanted to be friends with a freak like you?"

"Freak?"

"Oh, quit playing innocent, Kara." Carissa lunged for Kara with the scissors. Kara screamed and tried to get away, but Carissa had caught one of her braids.

Even in the scuffle, Kara still managed to remember not to use her powers. But she had to get away from these mean girls, and fast. It was a bit difficult to do so without using her super strength, and Iris and Raine had already held her fast to the wall by her arms. Carissa was in the act of snipping off the braid that she caught when she, along with her friends, found themselves sprawled on the floor a millisecond later.

They looked up to see Kara wide-eyed and gasping for breath, with the half of one braid chopped off and the braid starting to unravel. Unknown to the trio, Kara was able to push them away by using her strength on a very minimal scale just so she wouldn't hurt them as much.

Kara did not wait for them to get up anymore. She ran.

She ran and ran until she found herself in the deserted music room where she was now hiding. Based on her super hearing, she knew that the girls had gotten up and were looking for her. She now crouched lower, hoping that Carissa and her posse won't think of entering the room. Kara stiffened as she heard them coming down the hallway, nearer and nearer to her hiding place. She heard doors opening and then closing; obviously the girls weren't giving up on finding her and finishing what they started.

"Oh, Kara," Raine called out. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

"Don't be scared, we're just having a little fun." This came from Carissa.

Kara's spine tingled when the girls laughed. Pure meanness oozed from their laughter and it was clear to her that these are the kind of humans that she did not want to associate with.

The girls' voices came nearer; Kara held her breath when she heard them right by the door of the music room. She scooted backwards to ensure that they wouldn't see her but she didn't notice that there was a drum set behind her. She accidentally stepped hard on the pedal of the bass drum, which to her sounded like a thunderclap as the sound reverberated throughout the room. Her heart dropped to her stomach.

"She's in here!" Iris yelled.

The door to the music room burst open and Carissa and the others charged in, expecting to see Kara slumped over some instruments. Fortunately for the young Kryptonian, she was able to quickly move behind a cabinet near the door. So when the girls passed by, she swiftly got up and escaped the room.

There were still a few minutes left before lunch period was over. This time Kara made sure to go to where the people are just in case those girls were still hot on her heels. She made the right choice and bumped into Rick.

"Kara, hey! What happened to you?" Rick asked, surprised at Kara's dishevelled appearance.

Kara bent over, trying to catch her breath. "Rick... mean girls... Carissa and her friends... they-they did this to me." She ran a hand through her messed-up hair. "Please don't let them get me."

"I won't." Rick's voice was angry. "Come on, let's get you to Alex." He led Kara to where Alex and their other friends were hanging out.

"Kara!" Alex screamed when she saw her miserable-looking sister being supported by Rick. "What happened? Who did this to you? Are you okay?"

Kara hastily filled Alex in on what was happening. Alex's face grew darker at every word and before Kara could finish, she was out the cafeteria dragging Kara along with her.

"Where are we going?" Kara cried while being unmercifully pulled along.

"To where your fake friends are, that's where!" Alex spat out. "How could they do that to you? What do they look like? I'll show them!"

Kara pulled her hand back, making Alex stop in her tracks. "No, Alex, don't!" Kara cried. "There'll only be more trouble!"

Alex grabbed Kara's hand and held fast. "No, Kara," she said darkly. "Those girls could have hurt you worse if you hadn't gotten away. They need to be taught a lesson!" she started walking again.

By a stroke of luck, Kara saw Carissa, Iris, and Raine walking in their direction. They haven't noticed the sisters yet as they were focused on finding Kara.

"That's the one who cut my hair," she whispered, pointing Carissa out to Alex. After that, everything that happened next were a blur from the moment Alex let go of Kara's hand and sailed right at the three girls. Kara could only watch helplessly as the scene unfolded before her.

"Why did you do that to my sister? Who do you think you are?" Alex lashed out. "How would you like it if _I_ cut your hair, huh?" She reached for Carissa and pulled her hair violently. Iris and Raine jumped in to help their friend.

"Ow! We were just having some fun with your freak sister!" Carissa screamed and tried to pull Alex's hands away, but the other girl's grip was too strong.

Carissa's statement really got Alex going. "What did you say?" she bellowed as extra pairs of hands hit and clawed at her. She shoved them away violently.

"Kara's a freak!"

"Take that back!"

"No!"

"Take. That. Back!" Alex gripped Carissa's shoulders hard and shook her until she had her pinned to the wall. Iris and Raine came back at Alex with a vengeance in an attempt to pull her off their friend. More screams and insults arose from the fighting girls until a male voice silenced them.

"Stop!"

It was Mr. Munro, the school principal.

* * *

Jeremiah and Eliza, as well as the parents of the three other girls, were called to the school by Mr. Munro after informing them that their daughters were in a fight. They had a good long talk with him, who laid down the appropriate punishment for the girls afterwards. Kara did not get punished since she was the target for bullying, but Alex got suspended for one day for fighting and inflicting slight injury to Carissa. Alex herself sustained some bruises and scratches as well.

Iris and Raine got a three-day suspension, and as for Carissa, she got suspended for five days as she was the one who had the scissors and perpetrated the whole thing. The three were also made to apologise to Kara.

"Come on, girls, let's go home," Jeremiah said, putting an arm around each of his daughters. Eliza held Kara's hand as they walked towards the car.

Kara and Alex could not speak at all, so great was their worry that sparks will fly any time from school up until they arrive home. Thus it was a very silent ride back to the Danvers residence, not that any of them noticed.

Once at home, Jeremiah and Eliza spoke to their girls one at a time. There were lots of explanations and copious tears from Kara and Alex, but more so from Alex because this is the first time that she ever got punished for something she has done in school. Her parents reassured her that the punishment she got was a lesson enough, and besides, she did protect Kara in her own way.

"Just don't pick a fight with anyone anymore just because you're mad, all right? Call Mr. Munro or any of your teachers. They'll be the ones who will handle the situation." Eliza reminded her daughter.

"Yes, Mom."

* * *

"How are you, Alex?" a worried Kara asked her sister as she entered their room. "Did your parents ground you?"

Alex shook her head. "No, they said that my suspension is punishment enough," she said, plopping down on her bed.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be. At least you can be sure that those brats won't bother you anymore. They have a lot of nerve."

But Kara wouldn't let the matter go. "But it's because of me that you got in trouble. I should have been suspended too."

"That's not how it works, Kara," Alex laughed. "And anyway, missing just one day of school wouldn't be so bad. I'll just think of it as a three-day weekend instead of the usual two."

"If you say so," Kara said, still concerned about her older sister's wellbeing. Just then a horrible thought came to her. "Alex."

"What?"

"If you won't be in school tomorrow, then it means I'll be going to school by myself."

Alex stared at Kara. "Oh, you're right."

"What am I gonna do?"

* * *

to be continued...

thanks for reading :)


	5. Friday I

It's Friday. According to Alex, this is the last day of the school week before the weekend, when they get two days of vacation until it's Monday again. 3PM can't come sooner as far as Kara is concerned. Jeremiah had just dropped her in front of Midvale Junior High, and Kara immediately felt like someone cast into stormy waters without any lifeline. Who, in her case, is Alex. Unfortunately her big sister is at home serving her one day suspension from school. Kara took a deep breath.

 _You can do this, Kara_ , she thought. _It's just school._ _You can make it through one day without your big sister_. She ran a nervous hand through her hair, now newly styled to even out the crooked length caused by Carissa. Then Kara started towards the building, repeating the statements over and over until she was muttering them aloud without her noticing.

"Talking to yourself again, Danvers Number Two?"

Kara shrieked at the voice and dropped her backpack. As she bent down to pick up her bag, she turned her head towards the maniacal laughter.

"Hey, Ronnie," Kara said, her face turning red as she slung her backpack on her shoulder. She began walking again without so much as another glance at Ronnie.

"Wait up, Kara," Ronnie jogged to catch up. "Sorry I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that you're easy to tease, that's all."

"Uh, okay," was all Kara could come up with as she really did not know what to say. She did not break her stride.

Ronnie was not about to be brushed off as easily as Kara had thought. He continued walking alongside her. "So is everything cool?"

Kara cocked her head, puzzled. "It's kind of warm today, isn't it?" she asked.

Ronnie stared at Kara for a few seconds before he realised that she did not get what he said. "What I mean is, is everything okay then? You're not mad or anything?"

"No. Don't worry about it, Ronnie." Kara paused. "Well, here's my classroom. I'll see you around."

"See you later by the gym at recess," Ronnie said.

"I don't know..." Kara began.

"Recess. Gym. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"But..."

But Ronnie had already walked away, fiddling with his cell phone as he did so. Kara just shook her head and entered her classroom. She sat quietly in her seat, reviewing for a test in Science. A few minutes later the bell rang, but Kara was ready for it. She smiled to herself when she did not flinch at all.

 _You can do this, Kara._

The first period had begun.

* * *

"Okay, people, your test results are out," Miss Andrews, the Science teacher, announced. "Now I know most of you are grossed out by our lab experiment a couple of days ago, but definitely not by this test. Except for some." She went around the classroom distributing the papers.

A general murmur arose from the class, with a few groans here and there. Kara sat up expectantly in her seat as Miss Andrews paused by her desk and laid her paper face down.

"Good job, Kara," Miss Andrews whispered. She smiled at the young Kryptonian before moving on to the next student.

Kara turned her paper over and gasped with delight. "Wow!" she exclaimed.

Kara's seatmate and lab partner June craned her neck to see Kara's paper. "A for awesome," she said. "That's great, Kara."

"Thanks! How did you do?"

June's mouth curved downwards. "I got a D. Despicable, if you ask me." She groaned. "Just seeing that frog diagram is enough to make me puke."

Kara laughed. "It's not all that bad. You'll do better next time."

"Yeah, as long as there's no slime involved." June made a gagging noise, making Kara laugh some more. Then without any transition, she asked, "Hey, would you like to hang out at recess?

"Um, I don't know," Kara said honestly. "I think I still can't get over what Carissa and her friends did to me yesterday." She fluffed her hair for emphasis.

June shrugged good-naturedly. "No worries. My offer still stands whenever you're ready. Great job on those witches, by the way," she said, referring to the girls who bullied Kara. "I can't stand them."

Kara was about to ask June what she meant by that when Miss Andrews' voice rose over the classroom din telling the class to quiet down, signalling the end of their conversation.

* * *

"Hey Danvers Number Two." Maria was leaning beside the door of Kara's classroom, waiting for her to come out.

"Maria, not you too," Kara sighed at the use of Ronnie's nickname for her. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, of course" Maria replied matter-of-factly. "Didn't Ronnie tell you you'll be hanging out with us?"

"Yes, but..."

"Great." Maria grabbed Kara's hand and started walking.

Because of what happened yesterday, Kara really wanted to make herself as inconspicuous as possible that day but was afraid to tell Maria so. So she let herself be led to the usual spot where Alex and her friends hang out. Ronnie and Rick let out a whoop when the girls arrived.

"Hey, hey, hey, nice hair, Kara," Rick greeted Kara.

Since Kara cannot make her escape now, she made an effort to continue the conversation. "Thanks, Rick. My foster mom took me to the salon yesterday. I think it's an exciting place to be, I've never been to one before."

The boys and Maria looked at each other awkwardly. Kara realised that she mentioned something unusual so she said quickly, "Well, my real mom never had the chance to take me to a salon when she was still alive." That was the truth, and while she thought that it was a good save on her end of the conversation, the memory of Alura choked her up a little. Fortunately nobody noticed her sniffle.

The three immediately softened their expressions. Maria was the first to speak up. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Kara." She laid a hand on Kara's arm in comfort.

"It's all right, she'd rather trim my hair herself anyway," Kara said.

"I know what you mean, it can be really expensive having your hair done," agreed Maria. "My mom in fact took a hairdressing course so she can cut my hair and my sisters' too. Cheaper that way, she said. And she's actually good. Let me know next time when you need a trim, I'm sure she'll give you a discount."

The conversation continued on that thread, and feeling left out, the Ronnie and Rick turned to more interesting topics than hairdressing. The rest of recess went on smoothly and when Kara stood up, Maria made sure to walk her back to her classroom. She only turned to leave when she saw the young Kryptonian settle in her seat. Kara waved goodbye at Maria, but the other girl was already busy texting. Kara shrugged and looked at her watch. Five more hours before school lets out.

 _So far, so good._

* * *

 ** _part 2 of this coming up soon._**

 ** _thanks for reading! :)_**


	6. Friday II

During Social Studies class, Kara decided to spend lunch period with June and told her so. Her classmate looked delighted. "That's great!" she'd said.

So when the bell rang for lunch, Kara told Maria, who she discovered was waiting for her again by the door, that she'll be sitting with June in the cafeteria. Maria looked suspicious but she allowed Kara to sit with June anyway. The girl is Kara's classmate after all and looked harmless enough compared to those girls she sat with yesterday.

Still, Maria informed Ronnie and Rick about the situation so they made sure to sit a few tables away from where Kara and June were. From time to time they checked to see if Kara was okay. And it seems that Alex's kid sister was, for at the moment she is giggling at a story that June is telling her.

Then when all the students had to return to their classrooms, Maria, Ronnie, and Rick walked a few steps behind the girls so that they won't realise they're being followed. The three casually waved goodbye at Kara and June before passing them by. Once out of sight, Rick took out his cell phone and dialled a number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Alex. Number Two is back in her classroom safe and sound, just like you asked. We don't think she suspected anything," Rick reported.

"Awesome. Same thing after school?" Alex asked.

"Of course. The three of us will make sure she's safe until your Mom comes to pick her up."

"Thanks. I owe you guys." Alex said gratefully.

Rick grinned. "You know that, Danvers."

Unknown to Kara, Alex enlisted her friends the previous day to look out for Kara in her stead. Kara's frightened expression when she realised that she won't have Alex with her in school the next day gave her the idea. While it's true that her friends still think that Kara is an odd girl, none of them wanted a repeat performance of what happened to her so they really stepped up to Alex's request.

And judging from what she's heard so far, Kara will make it through the day.

* * *

The time passed by, oh so slowly. Kara tried her best not to fall asleep in the middle of Math class but the teacher droned on and on about numbers and formulas and solutions that she had to pinch herself awake from time to time. At least the classes after this would be far more exciting than this one, and would definitely help time fly faster.

During PE, the class had to jump over hurdles in a race. Kara, who turned out to be the fastest runner, also leaped flawlessly over the hurdles. She even almost flew at one point but she was able to keep her powers in check. She grinned from ear to ear when her classmates cheered her on as she streaked past the finish line. She couldn't help but feel hopeful that in time, she will be considered as one of them and not the new kid who said and did strange stuff.

Back in the classroom for her English class, Kara couldn't help but at the clock for the nth time. Forty minutes more before the bell rings. Yup, she can absolutely do this. She's already looking forward to spending time with her older sister once she gets home. For sure Alex must be bored out of her mind right now, not having anyone to talk to the whole day. Kara thought to ask Eliza if they could drop by the grocery to pick up some ice cream first to cheer Alex up. There should be two flavours, cookie dough and-

"Miss Danvers!"

Kara was startled out of her reverie. "Oh! Sorry, what is the question please, Mr. Jones?" she asked.

"If you would kindly get your head out of the clouds, you would have heard me call you the first time," Mr. Jones admonished. The class sniggered at this, and he held up a hand to silence them. "Please come in front to read the poem on page two hundred twenty-five."

The younger Danvers collected her wits for a few seconds and then walked up front with her book. After apologising to Mr. Jones, she proceeded to read aloud. A discussion about the poem began as soon as Kara returned to her seat. For the remainder of the class, she made certain to listen lest she becomes the center of attention again.

The final bell rang at last. Kara had never heard such music to her ears. She eagerly gathered up her things and made a beeline for the door after telling June that she'll see her tomorrow.

As Kara waited by the curb for Eliza, she was joined by Alex's three friends. Ronnie explained casually that they would just like to keep her company while waiting.

Kara accepted Ronnie's explanation, but at the back of her mind she still wondered why the three were making an effort to accompany her. Normally they would only take notice of her when Alex was around; today, they seemed to be right wherever she was and actually asked-no, _made_ her hang out with them, not that she hated it. In fact, it was nice to be with people who didn't make fun of her because she was not like most kids their age. She still wasn't comfortable being called Danvers Number Two though.

Not long after, Eliza arrived to pick Kara up. They bought half gallons each of cookie dough and mint chocolate chip ice cream at the grocery before heading home. When they arrived, Alex ran out the door to greet her sister.

"Kara!" Alex shouted, hugging the younger girl tightly. "I'm so glad you're back! How are you? How was school? Did anyone try anything stupid? I hope not. Come on, tell me everything!" Of course she knew thanks to her personal Three Musketeers, but she wanted Kara's side of it.

Laughing, Kara returned the hug. "Don't you want some ice cream first?"

"Good idea!"

Supplied with heaping bowls of ice cream, the sisters settled comfortably on the couch in the living room and talked about their day. Alex beamed with pride when Kara told her what happened in school, most especially at the fact that she had made a new friend in June. She felt that this girl is no mean girl and her sister won't have any problem with her.

"So how about you, Alex?" Kara asked. "How did your day go?"

"Oh, I just almost died of boredom," Alex said. "Sure, there's..."

"Wait, die of boredom?" a worried Kara interrupted. "What does that mean? Does anybody really die from it? Are you ok?"

Alex laughed out loud. "That's just a figure of speech, Kara. You know how it feels like when you've got nothing to do for a long time? It's something like that," she explained.

Kara grinned sheepishly. "Oh. Got it."

"Anyway, there's TV, the internet, and my books, but I can only do so much at home alone," Alex continued. "Nothing compares to having someone to talk to."

"I know what you mean," Kara agreed. "June helped a lot in making our classes pleasant, they're not so boring anymore."

"That's good to know."

"Oh by the way, Alex, thanks for looking out for me today too."

Caught unawares, Alex's mouth dropped. "Huh... how did you know?" she asked, surprised.

"Well, when your mom and I drove off, I overheard Maria call you and said that Danvers Number Two is with the eagle safe and sound," Kara answered. "So I pieced everything together from the moment Ronnie walked me to my classroom to when all of them waited with me for your mom. It's a genius idea, really." She smiled at Alex.

"Did you use your super hearing again?" Alex asked.

Kara smiled wider. "Um no, actually, Maria kind of yelled it. The boys gave each other high fives too."

"Oh, right." Alex remembered going almost deaf at Maria's excited voice. "You know what, I specifically asked them not to be obvious, because I'm not sure if you would appreciate it."

"Why wouldn't I? Alex, I almost didn't go to school again because you weren't with me and I was so scared," Kara said. "But then Ronnie was suddenly there, teasing me again. It actually helped me forget my worries, and that set the atmosphere for the day. Which turned out to be really great aside from some bloopers."

"Which makes every student's life more exciting," Alex quipped.

"And it's all thanks to you." Kara pulled Alex in for a hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Not knowing what to say, Alex simply returned the hug. It wasn't an easy first week for her Kryptonian sister in school, but she was very happy that it ended on a happy note. She felt optimistic that from today, things will only get better.

Kara thinks the same way too.

 _fin_

* * *

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